"It's nearby," Amamiya said, putting away the searching compass. "The compass can only give us a general direction. We'll still need to search manually."
After a moment, Amamiya glanced at Tsubame. "Now that I think about it, there are two loudspeakers in the game backpack..."
"Don't even think about using those!" Tsubame exclaimed, a bead of sweat forming on her forehead. "This is a game dungeon. Blasting a message through a loudspeaker would be ridiculous, no matter how you look at it!"
She crossed her arms, lowering her voice as she continued, "There are likely mushroom people in the village. If we startle them all out at once, it could be a disaster."
"Fair point," Amamiya replied.
Tsubame added thoughtfully, "We've confirmed that Chika-chan is in the village. Since it's not very big, we can search house by house."
Amamiya raised an eyebrow. "What if it's dangerous to search each house like that?"
"It's definitely less dangerous than shouting through a loudspeaker," Tsubame shot back. "And if we're lucky, we might find Chika-chan quickly."
Stretching out her right hand, she said, "Amamiya-kun, hand me a flashlight."
"Got it."
Amamiya gently set Little Red Riding Hood down as he handed over a flashlight. "Let's start with that house up ahead."
—
The village was small, poorly maintained, and clearly struggling. The low productivity of the fairy tale kingdom was evident in its dilapidated homes. Most houses lacked proper courtyards, protected only by simple bamboo fences.
"I'll knock on the door," Amamiya said as they approached the first house. He stepped forward, while Tsubame and Little Red Riding Hood stayed a few paces behind.
As he knocked, faint whispers could be heard from inside. However, the moment his fist met the door, silence fell.
Raising an eyebrow, Amamiya called out, "Could you please open the door?"
No response.
"Come on, old man, open up. We're here to bring warmth."
Still nothing.
Little Red Riding Hood chimed in, her small voice earnest. "Grandma Mary, it's me! Please open the door—it's the brave hero, not a bad guy!"
Based on their gathered information, mushrooms didn't grow overnight. The transformation was gradual, causing infected individuals to develop darker temperaments and unnatural powers. Such people were often exiled from their villages for the safety of others. Some chose to leave on their own, sacrificing themselves for their families.
"Grandma Mary, please open the door," Little Red Riding Hood pleaded again.
But the house remained silent.
Amamiya sighed, stepping back slightly to examine the door. "This old thing looks like it'll fall apart if I so much as kick it," he remarked casually. "And in this cold, without a door to keep the wind out, someone could freeze to death."
Tsubame frowned. "Amamiya-kun..."
His words might sound harsh, but they had their intended effect.
The inhabitants of the fairy tale world were deeply afraid of evil forces. Pleasantries and polite negotiation often fell on deaf ears, but the hint of a threat seemed to work wonders. Moments later, faint movement could be heard from inside the house.
"P-Please, wait a moment!"
An old, panicked voice echoed from inside the house.
Moments later, a faint light flickered to life within, and the door creaked open. An elderly woman cautiously peeked out, her eyes darting nervously to the three figures outside.
"Grandma Mary!"
Little Red Riding Hood wriggled free from Tsubame's hand and ran forward, calling out joyfully.
"Who... who are you?"
The sky had grown darker, and the old woman squinted her eyes in the dim light, trying to make out the visitors. When she finally recognized Little Red Riding Hood, her expression shifted to alarm, and she instinctively took a step back, her face full of suspicion.
"Grandma Mary, don't be afraid! The mushrooms are gone!"
Beaming, Little Red Riding Hood pulled off her red hat, proudly revealing her clean, mushroom-free head.
The old woman gasped, rushing forward to inspect her. She checked Little Red Riding Hood's head again and again, and finally, her tense shoulders relaxed. The mushrooms were indeed gone.
"It was the brave man who saved me," Little Red Riding Hood explained, pointing toward Amamiya. "He even helped my grandmother by removing her mushroom!"
"Actually," Amamiya said with a casual smile, "I'm a professional hero. I came here specifically to cure the mushroom disease." He gestured toward Tsubame and added, "And this is my partner, the cute Paladin."
Tsubame felt her cheeks heat up and quickly averted her gaze, flustered by the unnecessary embellishment. Unlike Amamiya, she still had a sense of propriety and found it embarrassing to mislead an elderly woman so blatantly.
After a bit more conversation, Grandma Mary finally relaxed and invited them inside.
The house was small and dimly lit, with only a flickering lamp providing minimal illumination. Inside, a young child, even smaller than Little Red Riding Hood, peeked out shyly from behind the old woman. Fortunately, neither of the two seemed to be affected by the mushroom plague.
Amamiya, wasting no time, turned on his flashlight and began methodically searching the house. Despite the cramped quarters, the search was thorough but fruitless. There was no sign of Chika.
However, their efforts weren't entirely in vain.
The old woman knew far more about the village than Little Red Riding Hood, who had been away in self-imposed exile. After a brief but detailed conversation, Amamiya and Tsubame thanked her and resumed their search.
With their first successful interaction under their belts, the process became more straightforward. Each time Amamiya knocked on a door and delivered his sharp, threatening remarks, most villagers opened up quickly, fear evident in their expressions.
Unfortunately, after combing through several homes, they still found no trace of the pink haired girl.
"The big house up ahead belongs to Karen," Little Red Riding Hood explained, continuing her role as a diligent guide. "But she moved to the city a while ago."
"That makes it easier if no one's home," Amamiya remarked, turning to Tsubame with a teasing grin. "Senpai, have you ever wondered what it's like to break into a house?"
Tsubame's lips twitched. "No, I haven't."
"Well, you're about to find out."
"…"
The house was larger than the others and surrounded by a low wall. Without hesitation, Amamiya climbed over it effortlessly and gestured for Tsubame to follow.
"Come on, Senpai."
With a soft sigh, Tsubame followed his lead, vaulting over the wall and landing gracefully. She took a moment to adjust her footing before letting out a breath of relief.
"So," Amamiya said with a playful smirk, "how does it feel to break into someone's house?"
"Stop calling it burglary," Tsubame retorted, rolling her eyes. "It sounds so... wrong. We're not stealing anything. We're here to find Chika!"
"Right, right," Amamiya replied, his grin unshaken. "Let's go find her, then."
The two, holding flashlights with a little girl, stepped cautiously into the house, the crunch of snow beneath their feet fading as they crossed the threshold.
It was immediately apparent that no one had lived there for a long time. A faint musty odor lingered in the air, and the beams of their flashlights illuminated countless dust motes swirling in the stillness.
They moved methodically, sweeping their flashlights across the first floor, quickly completing their inspection. Just as they prepared to ascend the stairs, a sudden tapping sound echoed through the house.
"Amamiya-kun, there are footsteps," Tsubame whispered, her expression alert. "It sounds like... high heels."
The unexpected noise in the abandoned, lifeless house sent a chill through them. It wasn't the kind of sound one expected in such a place. For practicality, Chika had worn flat sneakers, so there was no way her steps could produce such a noise.
"Yes," Amamiya murmured, directing his flashlight toward the source of the sound.
Behind them, Little Red Riding Hood trailed curiously, her voice breaking the silence. "Some villagers said they heard this sound too. It was described as... like a pair of shoes."
Tsubame frowned slightly, a flicker of recognition crossing her face. "It sounds familiar," she murmured, straining to place the memory. Then, like a spark, it clicked—an old fairy tale she had read long ago.
"It appeared," Amamiya announced as his flashlight beam illuminated something unusual. At the corner of the stairs leading to the second floor, a pair of red dancing shoes came into view.
Under the stark, white beam of the flashlight, the shoes rested eerily on the snow-dusted steps. They were empty—no feet, no wearer—just the vivid red of their fabric, stark against the dim surroundings.
"It's the red dancing shoes!" Tsubame blurted out. Her memory sharpened: a tale from childhood, one of Hans Christian Andersen's darker stories. It told of a girl so infatuated with her red dancing shoes that she wore them even to church. In the end, she was cursed—the shoes would not stop dancing, even after her feet were severed by an executioner. The memory, once innocent, now felt chilling.
The thought sent a shiver down her spine. What once seemed a whimsical story now revealed itself as a true horror—a cursed object that enslaved its wearer.
Suddenly, a rapid da-da-da shattered the quiet. The shoes began to move, their soles tapping against the wooden floor as though an invisible figure wore them. The sound grew louder as they descended the stairs, heading straight for Tsubame.
Reacting quickly, Amamiya kicked at the shoes, managing to send one tumbling away. The other, however, darted with unnatural speed and latched onto Tsubame's right foot.
The shoe seemed alive, its form rippling like liquid before solidifying again into its original shape. Almost simultaneously, the second shoe found its way to her other foot, sealing her fate.
And then…
Da-da-da.
Tsubame's body began to move involuntarily. She twirled and leapt, her movements graceful yet frantic. "I can't stop!" she cried, her voice tinged with panic. "My body is out of control!"
Amamiya watched, a perplexed expression on his face. "Senpai is as elegant as ever. The president of the gymnastics club truly lives up to her reputation."
"I studied dance for years!" she retorted sharply, biting her lip as she continued her unwilling performance.
"No wonder you're so skilled," he remarked, seemingly oblivious to her distress.
"Now is not the time for compliments, Amamiya-kun! Help me!" she pleaded, her movements becoming increasingly erratic.
Without a word, Amamiya seized her right ankle, pulling with all his strength to remove the shoe. "Be gentle!" Tsubame cried out in pain, her expression twisting.
"I'm already being careful," he replied tersely, loosening his grip. The moment he released her, she resumed dancing, her steps light and cheerful as though mocking her plight.
"It's no use," she said breathlessly. "The shoes feel like they're fused to my feet."
Her heart sank as realization dawned. The curse had taken hold.
The red dancing shoes couldn't be removed. Did this mean her only option was to chop off her feet, like in the fairy tale?
No, that was unthinkable.
Absolutely impossible!
Even if they managed to deal with the red dancing shoes temporarily, how would they handle the next challenge?
"Senpai, there are two possible solutions," Amamiya said, holding up two fingers as he observed Tsubame, who was still dancing reluctantly.
Tsubame's eyes lit up with hope, though her feet kept moving. "What's the first solution?"
"There's a saying about snake venom—that an antidote can always be found within seven steps of the snake. The same principle might apply here," Amamiya said seriously. "The first method is for me to search the house. You'll need to keep dancing while I look for the origin of the red dancing shoes' curse. The downside is that it might take time."
Tsubame hesitated, her movements never ceasing. "And the second option?"
"That's simpler—though a bit crude," Amamiya replied with a faint smile. "Senpai, are you familiar with the sheep transformation technique?"
Having copied the ability before entering the instance, Amamiya was ready to use it.
Tsubame blinked, puzzled. "Of course I've heard of it."
The sheep transformation technique was one of Chika's abilities, obtained after completing a playful mission at an amusement park. Unfortunately, it only worked on friendly targets, and its duration was limited.
After considering the idea, Tsubame realized it might actually work.
Surely, a pair of red dancing shoes couldn't fit on all four hooves of a sheep, could they?
Taking a deep breath, Tsubame said, "Amamiya-kun, please do it."
"Are you sure?"
She nodded firmly. "Yes."
"Alright, then." Amamiya approached her, extending his hand. "Don't resist—just accept it in your heart."
Tsubame complied silently, and a moment later, the spell took effect. She felt herself shrinking rapidly, her perspective lowering until she transformed into a small, snow-white lamb.
"Eh?!" Little Red Riding Hood exclaimed in shock. "The paladin turned into a little sheep!"
"I see that," Amamiya said calmly, inspecting the transformation. "She's quite a pretty little ewe."
Meanwhile, the red dancing shoes froze in place. They stopped moving entirely, as if unable to process how a human had suddenly turned into a four-legged creature.
Amamiya bent down and picked up the lamb. "Senpai, try removing the shoes now."
"Meh~" The soft bleat came from the little lamb, her voice tinged with resignation.
Amamiya examined her hind legs and, with a gentle tug, successfully removed the red dancing shoes. It seemed that, according to their rules, the shoes required a human wearer to function.
With the shoes removed, Amamiya received a notification:
[Item: Red Dancing Shoes]
[Type: Rule Artifact]
[Effect: Once worn, the user is forced to dance until exhaustion.]
[Note: This item can be taken out of the current instance under specific conditions.]
Tap-tap-tap.
Freed from the lamb's feet, the red dancing shoes began moving again, their soles tapping rhythmically against the ground. They soon changed direction, targeting Little Red Riding Hood.
"Damn it! You're going after a child instead of me? This is discrimination! Total sexism!" Amamiya grumbled, moving quickly to intercept.
Little Red Riding Hood yelped and hid behind him, terrified. If she ended up wearing the shoes, the situation would escalate further, especially with the sheep transformation technique already used.
Acting decisively, Amamiya grabbed the red dancing shoes and slipped them back onto the hooves of the lamb.
The shoes stopped moving once more, their strange logic unable to reconcile the contradiction of dancing on a sheep's hooves. They fell completely still.